Guardians Baseball Insider

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Top News

• Monday: The Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a two-year, $24MM extension with outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.

• Tuesday: New York Yankees lefty Zack Britton underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip in his throwing elbow. He will be shut down for six weeks, and will likely miss 3-to-4 months of the season.

• Wednesday: Los Angeles Angels righties Gerardo Reyes and Brendan McCurry will undergo Tommy John surgery, and miss the entire 2021 MLB season. The pitching woes continue for the Angels. 

• Thursday: The Pittsburgh Pirates signed veteran righty Trevor Cahill to a one-year, $1.5MM deal. 

• Friday: Veteran outfielder Nick Markakis is retiring after 15 years in the MLB. After the postseason ended for the Atlanta Braves last season, Markakis knew he was finished, and didn’t bother pursuing any teams for another opportunity. “My number one decision and my main focus on this, is obviously my kids and family. I’m fortunate and thankful to play the game as long as I have.” The one-time All-Star played a majority of his career with the Baltimore Orioles–and then signed with the Braves. We at Indians Baseball Insider wish Markakis the best as he pursues life after baseball. 

• Saturday: Oakland Athletics righty Mike Fiers suffered a setback in his recovery from hip and back injuries. He received an MRI Sunday, and will likely miss the start of Opening Day. 

• Sunday: Washington Nationals righty Stephen Strasburg left the game today against the Houston Astros due to discomfort in his left calf. It’s “nothing major,” and he is considered day-to-day.

Indians News

• According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, Cleveland Indians skipper Terry Francona all but named shortstop Andres Gimenez the starter for the 2021 season during a Zoom meeting. Fellow shortstop Amed Rosario was expected to take hold of the spot, but Gimenez has outplayed him, and they are giving Rosario reps in the outfield, and potentially elsewhere. 

• The Cleveland Indians informed veteran outfielder Billy Hamilton that he will not make the Opening Day roster. They attempted to find a trade for him before he was ultimately released.

• Mandy Bell of MLB.com reported that the Cleveland Indians traded infielder Mike Freeman to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for cash.

News and Notes

• AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reported that San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola suffered a fractured left middle finger against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday. The finger was hit with a foul tip. There is currently no timetable for his return. 

• The Cincinnati Reds claimed righty Carson Fulmer off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported that Colorado Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers left the game against the San Francisco Giants yesterday after suffering a right hamstring strain attempting to steal second base. It is not known if the injury will affect his Opening Day availability.

• According to Tim Britton of The Athletic, New York Mets righty Carlos Carrasco was slowed down by elbow soreness in the Mets first camp. He played catch Sunday and expects to be ready for Opening Day. 

• According to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Seattle Mariners lefty Roenis Elias suffered an injury to left elbow. He will be further evaluated in the upcoming days.

• Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Cincinnati Reds righty Sonny Gray was scratched from the game today against the San Diego Padres due to a recurring back issue. This will likely start his season out on the IL, and the first week of the season. 

• According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network the Baltimore Oriole and free-agent infielder Maikel Franco are working on finalizing a deal. 

Featured Article

Cleveland’s bullpen is good and I don’t care who knows about it

Matt Lyons of Let’s Go Tribe,which is part of SB Nation, talks about how underrated the Cleveland Indians bullpen is and how they will make noise during the upcoming season.